Track Review | Bryson Tiller, ‘Somethin Tells Me’

Track Review | Bryson Tiller, ‘Somethin Tells Me’

Louisville rapper and singer Bryson Tiller returns strong on “Somethin Tells Me,” the promo single from his sophomore album, ‘True to Self.’

Louisville, Kentucky rapper and singer Bryson Tiller experienced a breakthrough year in 2015-16. He went from relatively unknown to a platinum-certified, Grammy-nominated artist with his debut, TRAPSOUL. He returns with the anticipated follow-up to his debut, True to Self, which arrives June 23, 2017. True to Self is led by promo single, “Somethin Tells Me.”

“Somethin Tells Me” features excellent production work, firmly planted in the lethargic, alt-R&B, urban contemporary sound. Its use of synths and slick drum programming are perfect fuel for Tiller’s fire vocally. This is by no means a deep record, but the theme is clearly defined by title, and the catchy, simplistic chorus:

“Yeah somethin’ tells me / We ain’t gon’ last baby…”

The chorus summarizes the song superbly without question.

Tiller is both enticed and disillusioned with women on the first verse of “Somethin Tells Me,” At one point, he asserts:

“Rubbing shoulders with b*tches I used to put on pedestals / But still I keep it professional.”

He uses multiple examples where she entices him, yet doesn’t want to fulfill his fantasies so to speak:

“Shower with the door open, why you do that?”

“And I can’t concentrate while you’re standing there naked.”

On the second verse, he bears some of the guilt for why they ain’t gon’ last. The most notable is that he’s slept around:

“You found a Magnum inside of my bag / Don’t know how to explain this / That was in there way before we started dating / This the only music I hate facing, oh.”

Final Thoughts

Does “Somethin Tells Me” supplant “Exchange” or “Don’t?” No, of course not, but it’s a solid start to True to Self if nothing else. “Somethin Tells Me” may not reinvent R&B, but clearly, Bryson Tiller is in his zone. True to Self should be a big hit.